Balcony fire-escape.



C. J. A. HANSSEN.

BALCONY FIRE ESCAPE. Annan-Ion PIL-1m ssn. 1v. 19o?.

. .y Cms.' JACOB" AMANDUS- HANSSEN Attal-nays mx Nolems PETER: co.,WASHINGTON, n. c.

rUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL JACOB AMANDUS HANSSEN, OF CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY, ASSIGNOR TO AXELWINGE,

OF CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY.

BALCONY FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL JACOB AMANDUS HANSSEN, architect, a citizen ofthe Kingdom of Norway, residing at Camilla Oolletts Vei 10, in the cityof Christiania, Norway, have .invented a new and useful Improvement inBalcony Fire Escapes; and I do. hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

The sliding balcony lire-escapes hitherto constructed, which can beraised and lowered outside the house wall by the persons in the balcony,have not been practical in construction. An unproportionably greatexertion of power is required for raising the device, and the raisingtakes too long a time. The device therefore has not been suitable to thepurpose. Further the moving mechanisms are very complicated; they easilyget out of order and enhance the price of the apparatus.

My present invention has now for its object to provide a balconyfire-escape which is distinguished by a simple and reliable constructionof the .moving mechanism by which the apparatus may easily be lowered aswell as raised. Furthermore the arrangementcontrary to priorconstructions of similar kind-is such, that the balcony, which inrestingposition is situated uppermost beneath the roof above a verticalrow of windows, can be lowered from and moved on to each of saidwindows.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichzw-Figure 1 is an elevation of the balcony arranged outside a vertical rowof windows7 Fig. Z is a vertical cross section showing the whole movingmechanism, and Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section.

'The lbalcony proper -1- is preferably made as a basket with bottom ofsheet metal and sides of net of metal wire. In the four corners turningagainst the wall lugs 2f are provided. Said lugs surround pairwise twovertical steering cables 3 of wirerope. The cables --3- prevent danglingof the balcony and hold the same out from contact with the wall. Thebalcony is carried by two ropes lpassing around two rollers -M andthrougl'i holes #7-w in the wall in to the loft in order to be coiledupon two drums -8-. The rollers -6- are carried by brackets 5- attachedoutside the wall. The drums m8- are keyed on a common shaft -9-supported in bearings l0 and provided at one end with a worm wheel llmameshing with a worm 12- keyed on a horizontal driving shaft -l3-, oneend of which passes out through the wall and carries outside the same achain wheel #14. Around. the latter is placed an endless chain l5-hanging down at one side of the window-row so that it may be reachedfrom each of the windows.

If one or the other chain part is pulled, the balcony is raised orlowered. By this arrangement the great advantage is obtained that thebalcony may be moved on from each window in the row, because thehand-driving part (here the chain) is not as hitherto arranged on thebalcony itself so as to be reachable only from the same, but said partis arranged in such a manner, that it may be reached and operated fromthe balcony as well as from each of the windows in the row. Only herebythe apparatus may be fully utilized.

Experience has shown, that a balcony provided with the moving mechanismabove described may be lowered and raised along the wall Withoutworth-mentioning exertion of power.

, Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is :M

In a sliding balcony fire-escape the combination of a balcony arrangedoutside a vertical row of windows, ropes carrying the balcony, drumskeyed on the same shaft and around which said ropes are coiled up, saiddrums being preferably arranged in the loft of the house, a worm wheelkeyed on said shaft, a worm meshing with the worm wheel and being keyedon a horizontal shaft proliecting out through the wall, a chain wheelkeyed on the outer end of the last-mentioned shaft and a driving chainpassing around the chain wheel and hanging down at one side of thewindow row so that it may be reached and operated both from the balconyand from each of the windows.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL JACOB AMANDUS iiANssEN.

Witnesses 2 AXEL SAHN,

MoeENs FRAAs BUeeE.

